A Time Capsule
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS If you had been alive during the time of the American Revolutionary War and had the chance to secrete something for others to discover centuries later, what would you have put into your box? It turns out that two famous men from that period created...
Describe Characters by Their Clothing
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS In a story, clothing can be the author’s way of telling us what kind of character we’re reading about. What are they wearing? Judging real people by their clothing might not be too smart, but authors rely on readers to judge characters based on...
Create a Wacky Character!
MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS Have you ever read any books about Amelia Bedelia, the young housemaid who takes everything literally? When Amelia Bedelia is instructed to pitch a tent, she throws the tent into the woods! When she bakes a sponge cake, she uses real sponges,...
Should He Be Arrested . . . Again?
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS So, Roger gets arrested over 20 years ago for grand theft, but he serves only five months of his five-and-a-half-year sentence. Why? Because he escapes. And now, a fugitive from the law for 22 years, he is found in a neighboring state, living with...
To Sled or Not to Sled—Is That the Question?
Cities are banning sledding in their parks so they won’t be sued when someone gets hurt. Do you think people should be allowed to sled in city parks?
Do You Have a Dream? Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let's get to know King's most famous speech a little better. To hear the audio and read the transcript of "I Have a Dream," click here. To view the speech on YouTube, click here. This moving speech was originally given August...
Letters from Jail: Apostle Paul and Martin Luther King Jr.
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS Jail probably isn’t the optimal location from which to pen a letter. If I were to write one from jail, it would probably say, "Get me out of here!" Paul's Message However, Apostle Paul writes from jail often and exudes no panic. In Philippians,...
Dylan Thomas: His Christmas Memories and Yours
HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS What is your favorite Christmas memory? Dylan Thomas, a famous poet and author, wrote about his Christmas memories in the memoir essay “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” in which he remembers friends, toys, hijinks, relatives, and traditions of his...
Write a Christmas Carol
MIDDLE SCHOOL PROMPTS Which part of the Christmas account do you like the best? Is it the Annunciation where an angel announces to Mary that she will have a child? Is it the long journey to Bethlehem with no inn available when Mary and Joseph arrive? Could it be when...
The First Christmas: You Are There
It’s easy to forget all the noise, confusion, and fear Mary and Joseph experienced. Read the Christmas accounts in the Bible. Which person do you identify with the most? Or which person do you wish you could have been?











